when do you shift?

When necessary.

Sorry I couldn't resist writing this although I put it off for several days.

I guess I've been "lugging" my engines for the last 37 years---my current R100 and R100RT only rarely see the high side of 5K, and I'm generally upshifting at something around 4K. Highway cruising speeds between 3750 and 4250rpm are pretty comfortable. The RT has a 2.91 final drive, and it's smooth as glass once it's above the buzziness zone between 4500 and 5000rpm, but I prefer my driving record clean and insurance rates low. I haven't had to replace a worn or stretched timing chain yet, either. Not a member of the "these engines love to rev" set.

Due to the final drive ratio my G/S revs at 4K RPM at 90KMH or 55MPH. 4500 RPM to go 103KMH or 60MPH. It's over 5K to go 120KMH or 70MPH.

NOT a slab bike at all! But when rolling down two lane highways out in the middle of nowhere at a nice easy pace that 800cc motor and the great suspension on that bike makes it just a dream to ride.

khittner said:

I guess I've been "lugging" my engines for the last 37 years---.

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Yep!

PGlaves said:

Yep!

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Hmm. With 500cc jugs, I’ve always thought of these bikes as closer to Sportsters than Hayabusas—-more efficiently and elegantly engineered than Sportsters, certainly, but, despite the roundels, not aircraft engines that I want/need to run at 75% power, and have overhauled every xxx hours. If I lived in West Texas, covering largely-unoccupied ground at 5K+ rpm, and autobahn velocities, would be do-able. But riding to Detroit, Grand Rapids, or Traverse City in 4th gear just seems a tad hyperactive.

As long as you can determine which brand of car is in your mirrors you’re probably ok...

Wow on my R65 I have been shifting at 5-6K which seems a bit high to everybody else.

3457fl said:

Wow on my R65 I have been shifting at 5-6K which seems a bit high to everybody else.

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Smaller engine, shorter stroke, likes to rev, you are doing it about right.